I may be in over my head.....

[gunnss]

A plea for help or at least information.......

I am just finshing up a Sim cockpit >, after it is done I am planing on building a moblizer platform that will use Punematics controlled by servos to move it.  What I need is advice on programming and how to tap in to the USB outputs of the Flight controlers to run a TSR program to make every thing move.  My prgraming experiance ended with RPG and COBOL so advice as to language and methods would be greatly appreciated.  The lead time on the platform is at least a year so there isn't a great rush, but help would be great.

Pics of the Cockpit will be posted soon and I am planing on bringing it to the 04 con

Gunns

[gunnss]

really nobody??
Th sim cockpit is finshed an I want to start on the next pase....

Gunns

[Ghosth]

First disclaimer, I'm not a programmer.
2nd disclaimer, I don't do electric over pnematics daily.

What I am is a jaack of all trades. And it sounds to me like you have your work cut out for you.


First off I'm not sure its possible to "tap into the usb outputs"

If youl just want the platform to move back when the stick is pulled back. It might be easier to find a way to put a microswitch inside the joystick. Hardwired to the pneumatics.

My guess is with usb your talking pure assembly here. Machine language.

course I could be wrong.

Anyone, just wanted to let you know.

A someones reading this.
B someone else thinks its cool
C good luck on a BIG project.

[JoeBWan17]

I am a programmer, but this is way beyond my experience in hardware.  

My guess is that you are going to want something like C++ to interact with whatever windows libraries are available to "talk" to the USB.  It may even be that you have to write something at the driver level.  

However I could be totally wrong, most of my experience is purely in software and using Java or interpreted languages (such as Python).  

I am making a blatant assumption that you are doing this in Windows XP/NT/2000 though.    If so this kind of thing may need to be done at the driver level for the device.

[Chairboy]

You may want to consider checking out X-Plane's support for motion platforms, it's quite a bit more sophisticated then hard wiring to the joystick.

If you DO just want to tild based on the joystick, the better approach might be to write a program that plugs into DirectX to get the joystick movement, then outputs instructions via an EPIC  or microcontroller that takes serial instructions and controls relays appropriately.

[gunnss]

Thanks All,

here are a pair of Pics >


this is a side view, with the door and monitor mount visable

this is the best of the dark pics and shows the sim cockpit dissasembled for the move in to my room.


as to the programing as long as I can get the inputs from the flight controllers I can use them to control the platform, the pneumatic electro interface is no problem what I need is somthing to translate the controler inputs to the motion producing device much like the inputs are fed to the AH front end.  Anyway I have the cockpit finshed and will bring it to the next <2004> con.  One last thing the interior of the canopy is white and when I black or red out it reflects from the inside of the canopy and really gives you the effect of it happening to you

[Ghosth]

Well it wasn't much but at least I got people talking to you!

Awesome project btw.

Punt

[Eagler]

why all the electronics and programming, just grab a couple of bungee cords:

http://www.acesim.com/ready.html

[gunnss]

Eagler I saw that setup when you posted it earlier, and its cool but I am looking for a setup that will add Yaw, accl/deccl, and lift...... giving 5 axis of movment.

Ifluff'n Ya'll want I'll post my drawing of the proposed moblizer and let Ya'll fiddle with it.

The basic setup is a set of platforms, one on the ground serving as a base, on the base are a set of Bladders that inflate or deflate to provide up and down, on the bladders a pltform holding a set of pool balls in shallow bowls for forward and back/ side to side, with another platform on top of the pool balls holding the main pivot with two actuating cylnders the provide pitch and Yaw to the top platform which holds the simpit.  All cylnders are Pnuematic and are opperated by servos like RC aircraft use... The Simpits.org website has a link to a company that provides an interface board that will give analog or digital outputs on command, but i need to tap in to the USB outputs from the controlers to actuate it.  Ect ect ect.....


Gunns

[dweebespit]

Looks like a hellova way to get away from the wife and kids.

[dweebespit]

Gun,

As I mulled that idea for a few minutes, I would reccomend you heading over to slashdot.org.  If you were to perhaps post a small site describing what it is and what you want it to do, you can submit the link and your question under the 'ask slashdot' section.  I'm reasonably sure that the question would get accepted and to say the least, there are some profoundly intelligent people over there, most of whom are more then happy to take time out of their day to help you with a something like this.

[Eagler]

Originally posted by gunnss
Eagler I saw that setup when you posted it earlier, and its cool but I am looking for a setup that will add Yaw, accl/deccl, and lift...... giving 5 axis of movment

the joyrider looks like it has all the movements you require:

[gunnss]

Wandering around the Boards I ran in to a site called  
http://www.phidgets.com

They sell interface cards that are USB connected and provide Digital inputs, outputs, and analog inputs, run from software resident on the computer running the AH front end, and run an avarge of $100.00 Cdn.  The normal programming language is VB, and they seem to do most of what I want.  
  As for the Joy Rider it is great, Except my Simpit and I together weigh in excess of 500lb and it doesn't provide two motions I want,

  As for lift I don't see anyway of actuating it except as a programing out put from the AH front end, and I dont want to make that kind of request of HighTech untill They arn't so busy with more importatnt stuff.....

Gunns

[gunnss]

next roll of film to be devolped Sat.  Hopefully of better quality,

Gunns